Texas State Aquarium

What Texas State Aquarium does

Texas State Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1990 and headquartered in Corpus Christi, Texas, operating the largest aquarium facility in Texas. The institution operates a single physical campus at 2710 N. Shoreline Boulevard comprising the original Gulf of Mexico Exhibit Building, the Caribbean Journey expansion (opened 2017), Dolphin Bay, Stingray Lagoon, and the H-E-B Splash Park, and houses 300+ species across marine and terrestrial exhibits. In March 2023, the aquarium opened the $16 million Port of Corpus Christi Center for Wildlife Rescue, the largest coastal wildlife rescue center in Texas and the only aquarium facility with a CAT scan dedicated to wildlife diagnostics, anchoring an institutional conservation and rehabilitation program. The aquarium is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1995 and by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums since 2007.

The aquarium generates revenue through a multi-stream model: one-time admission tickets sold on-site and via a dedicated online ticketing platform, recurring annual memberships with tiered benefits, on-site retail, food and beverage (including the Pepsi Shoreline Grill), private event rentals, educational programming (STEMM programs, SeaCamp, field trips, homeschool, AquaTeen Academy), and philanthropic streams including donations, corporate sponsorships, and the symbolic Adopt-an-Animal program. The primary customer segments are individual visitors and families (tourists and regional tourists), school groups and educational institutions, corporate event clients, and conservation supporters/donors. The aquarium has welcomed 14 million+ visitors since opening and was named the #4 Aquarium in North America by USA TODAY in both 2019 and 2020.

The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: the aquarium sells tickets and memberships through its own website and on-site box office, with group sales and event rentals handled by dedicated direct-sales teams. Marketing operates through an owned blog, email newsletters (Constant Contact), press relations (with named press contacts), and earned media, including a viral rescue-otter video that received 20+ million views. Major partnerships include the Port of Corpus Christi (founding partner of the Wildlife Rescue Center), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi / Harte Research Institute, OCEARCH, Event Network (retail operations), SSA Group (operational support), and a 2025 Cultural Attractions Coalition joint-membership partnership with seven other Corpus Christi institutions.

Name

Texas State Aquarium

Legal name

Texas State Aquarium

Website

https://texasstateaquarium.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Texas State Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating the largest aquarium in Texas in Corpus Christi, serving families, school groups, and tourists through exhibits, a wildlife rescue center, and STEMM educational programs. It generates revenue from admissions, memberships, retail, events, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquarium and Marine Wildlife Attraction

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)

Keywords

• Aquarium attractions
• Wildlife rescue services
• Marine conservation education
• STEMM educational programs
• Coastal wildlife rehabilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Corpus Christi

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Admissions and Tickets: Ticket sales for aquarium admission, with pricing varying by visitor category (adults, children, seniors). Included with admission are wildlife presentations and exhibits.
2. Memberships: Annual membership programs offering unlimited admission, discounts, and exclusive benefits for members.
3. Retail Sales: On-site gift shop selling aquarium merchandise, souvenirs, and educational items.
4. Event Rentals: Private event hosting including corporate events, birthday parties, and facility rentals.
5. Donations and Support: Charitable donations from individuals, corporate partners, and supporters to fund wildlife conservation and education programs.
6. Adopt-an-Animal Programs: Symbolic animal adoption programs allowing supporters to contribute to animal care.
7. Food and Beverage: On-site dining services including Pepsi Shoreline Grill restaurant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Texas State Aquarium operates a marine wildlife attraction featuring permanent exhibits of 300+ species (Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Journey, Dolphin Bay, Stingray Lagoon), daily animal presentations, the H-E-B Splash Park, and the new Ocean Odyssey experience. The aquarium also runs the Port of Corpus Christi Center for Wildlife Rescue, Texas's largest coastal wildlife rescue facility, and delivers K-12 STEMM educational programs including camps, homeschool, and distance learning. Revenue is generated through admissions, memberships, retail, food and beverage, event rentals, corporate partnerships, and charitable donations supporting its conservation mission.

Product overview

Texas State Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization operating as a single unified attraction in Corpus Christi, TX. The core offering includes permanent exhibits (Gulf of Mexico Exhibit, Caribbean Journey, Dolphin Bay, Stingray Lagoon), the new Ocean Odyssey experience, and the H-E-B Splash Park. A major recent addition is the Port of Corpus Christi Center for Wildlife Rescue ($16M facility opened 2023) which serves as Texas's largest coastal wildlife rescue center. Educational programming is provided through STEMM Programs including SeaCamp, AquaTeen Academy, and outreach initiatives. Daily animal presentations (DOLPHINS!, Turtle Tales, Shark talks, Stingray Chat, Otter presentations) complement the exhibit-based experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ocean Odyssey Immersive experience combining movement, play, and discovery designed to connect visitors with marine life through interactive physical engagement.
• Caribbean Journey Exhibit Largest expansion in aquarium history, featuring marine and land creatures with underwater and jungle environments, including a Mayan-themed Caribbean wing with cenote and 40,000-gallon Caribbean shark exhibit.
• Gulf of Mexico Exhibit Original exhibit building showcasing species from the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.
• Dolphin Bay Dolphin habitat featuring Atlantic bottlenose dolphins with daily DOLPHINS! presentations at Dolphin Bay Stadium.
• H-E-B Splash Park Water play area offering outdoor water-based activities for families.
• Port of Corpus Christi Center for Wildlife Rescue Wildlife rescue facility featuring state-of-the-art veterinary equipment including a CAT scan, allowing public observation of animal rehabilitation.
• Stingray Lagoon
• STEMM Educational Programs
• Annual Memberships
• General Admission Tickets
• Event Rentals and Private Events
• Adopt-an-Animal Program
• Daily Animal Presentations

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 million+ visitors since opening in 1990
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and strategic.

• Land and Sea Partnership (Cultural Attractions Coalition)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 February 2025Partnership with seven major Corpus Christi educational and cultural attractions offering joint membership programs. Members receive extra mega membership benefits across participating institutions.
• Event NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Third-party partner assisting the Aquarium in providing the best guest experience. Event Network specializes in retail and visitor services for cultural attractions.
• SSA GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Third-party partner assisting the Aquarium in providing the best guest experience. SSA Group provides operational support services.
• ABQ BioPark in AlbuquerquestrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Ocelot Species Survival Plan (SSP) partner that provided two young sister ocelots named Milla and Leeloo to Texas State Aquarium in March 2021.
• OCEARCHstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Partnership for the Saving Sharks exhibit, supporting shark conservation research and tracking. OCEARCH is a celebrated organization for ocean research.
• Houston Museum of Natural SciencestrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Collaborative partner in the Saving Sharks exhibit, providing expertise and resources for shark conservation education.
• Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus ChrististrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Academic partnership supporting shark conservation research and Gulf of Mexico studies. Part of the Saving Sharks exhibit collaboration.
• Coastal America PartnershipstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Partnership of 13 federal departments and the office of the President designated TSA as a Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center, supporting national coastal conservation efforts.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• San Antonio Zoo: Major Texas nonprofit AZA-accredited zoological institution competing for the same family tourism and education market; comparable in nonprofit structure, AZA accreditation, education programming, and reliance on admissions/memberships.
• Downtown Aquarium Houston: Texas-based aquarium and entertainment complex serving the Houston market; comparable as a regional Texas aquarium attraction but smaller in scale, less education-focused, and not AZA-accredited.

Direct peers

• Audubon Aquarium of the Americas: New Orleans-based AZA-accredited aquarium with comparable Gulf Coast focus and marine exhibit offerings; both institutions serve as regional tourist anchors and emphasize Gulf/Caribbean marine ecosystems.
• Clearwater Marine Aquarium: Florida-based nonprofit aquarium with a strong animal rescue and rehabilitation focus, similar to TSA's Wildlife Rescue Center; both combine visitor exhibits with active marine animal rescue operations.
• National Aquarium (Baltimore): Mid-Atlantic AZA-accredited nonprofit aquarium comparable in mission and scale; both operate large permanent exhibits, animal welfare programs, and education initiatives with diversified revenue from admissions, memberships, and events.
• Georgia Aquarium: The largest aquarium in the U.S. and a direct peer; both are AZA-accredited nonprofit public aquariums operating large-scale marine mammal, shark, and tropical exhibits with diversified admissions, membership, and event revenue streams.
• Tennessee Aquarium: Chattanooga-based nonprofit AZA-accredited aquarium with similar freshwater and saltwater exhibit mix; both institutions rely heavily on tourism, education programs, and conservation storytelling to drive attendance.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium: California-based AZA-accredited nonprofit aquarium renowned for marine conservation and education; both operate as visitor-facing aquariums with research, rescue, and conservation missions, though Monterey Bay has a stronger ocean-conservation brand.
• Shedd Aquarium: Chicago-based AZA-accredited nonprofit aquarium comparable in scale, mission, and offerings; both institutions operate permanent marine exhibits, animal rescue programs, and education-focused visitor experiences.

Broad incumbents

• SeaWorld San Antonio: Larger Texas-based marine-themed amusement park with animal exhibits, shows, and rides; overlaps with TSA on marine life exhibits and family tourism but is a for-profit theme park rather than a nonprofit aquarium.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/texas-state-aquarium

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Texas State Aquarium